In order to facilitate reference to various journal articles, a listing of the articles is provided at the end of this specification.
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder of the human central nervous system characterized by progressive memory impairment and cognitive and intellectual decline during mid to late adult life (Katzman, 1986). The disease is accompanied by a constellation of principal amongst which neuropathologic features are the presence of extracellular amlyoid or senile plaques and the neurofibrillary degeneration of neurons. The etiology of this disease is complex, although in some families it appears to be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. However, even among these inherited forms of AD, there are at least three different genes which confer inherited susceptibility to this disease (St. George-Hyslop et al., 1990). The e4 (Cys112Arg) allelic polymorphism of the Apolipoprotein E (AopE) gene has been associated with AD in a significant proportion of cases with onset late in life (Saunders et al., 1993; Strittmatter et al., 1993). Similarly, a very small proportion of familial cases with onset before age 65 years have been associated with mutations in the B amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene (Chartier-Harlin et al., 1991; Goate et al., 1991; Murrell et al., 1991; Karlinsky et al., 1992; Mullan et al., 1992). A third locus (AD3) associated with a larger proportion of cases with early onset AD has recently been mapped to chromosome 14q24.3 (Schellenberg et al., 1992; St. George-Hyslop et al., 1992; Van Broeckhoven et al., 1992).
Although chromosome 14q carries several genes which could be regarded as candidate genes for the site of mutations associated with AD3 (e.g. cF0S, alpha—1—antichymotrypsin, and cathepsin G), most of these candidate genes have been excluded on the basis of their physical location outside the AD3 region and/or the absence of mutations in their respective open reading frames (Schellenberg, G D et al., 1992; Van Broeckhoven, C et al., 1992; Rogaev et al., 1993; Wong et al., 1993).
There have been several developments and commercial directions in respect of treatment of Alzheimer's disease and diagnosis thereof. Published PCT application WO 94 23049 describes transfection of high molecular weight YAC DNA into specific mouse cells. This method is used to analyze large gene complexes, for example the transgenic mice may have increased amyloid precursor protein gene dosage, which mimics the trisomic condition that prevails in Downs Syndrome and the generation of animal models with β-amyloidosis prevalent in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease. Published international application WO 94 00569 describes transgenic non-human animals harbouring large trans genes such as the trans gene comprising a human amyloid precursor protein gene. Such animal models can provide useful models of human genetic diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease.
Canadian Patent application 2096911 describes a nucleic acid coding for amyloid precursor protein—cleaving protease, which is associated with Alzheimer's Disease and Down's syndrome. The genetic information may be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The genetic information was isolated from chromosome 19. Canadian patent application 2071105, describes detection and treatment of inherited or acquired Alzheimer's disease by the use of YAC nucleotide sequences. The YACs are identified by the numbers 23CB10, 28CA12 and 26FF3.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,562, describes detection of Alzheimer's Disease having two or more copies of chromosome 21. Treatment involves methods for reducing the proliferation of chromosome 21 trisomy. Canadian Patent Application 2054302, describes monoclonal antibodies which recognize human brain cell nucleus protein encoded by chromosome 21 and are used to detect changes or expression due to Alzheimer's Disease or Down's Syndrome. The monoclonal antibody is specific to a protein encoded by human chromosome 21 and is linked to large pyramidal cells of human brain tissue.
By extensive effort and a unique approach to investigating the AD3 region of chromosome 14q, the Alzheimer's related membrane protein (ARMP) gene has been isolated, cloned and sequenced from within the AD3 region on chromosome 14q24.3. In addition, direct sequencing of RT-PCR products spanning this 3.0 kb cDNA transcript isolated from affected members of at least eight large pedigrees linked to chromosome 14, has led to the discovery of missence mutations in each of these different pedigrees. These mutations are absent in normal chromosomes. It has not been established that the ARMP gene is causative of familial Alzheimer's Disease type AD3. In realizing this link, it is understood that mutations in this gene can be associated with other cognitive, intellectual, or psychological disease such as cerebral hemorrhage, schizophrenia, depression, mental retardation and epilepsy. These phenotypes are present in these AD families and these phenotypes have been seen in mutations of the APP protein gene. The Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) gene is also associated with inherited Alzheimer's Disease.
The identification of both normal and mutant forms of the ARMP gene and gene products has allowed for the development of screening and diagnostic tests for ARMP utilizing nucleic acid probes and antibodies to the gene product. Through interaction with the defective gene product and the pathway in which this gene product is involved, gene therapy, manipulation and delivery are now made possible.